The Research on Life Changing Teaching

Being an effective teacher is about more than just improving test scores—it’s also about making a difference in students’ lives. When we asked our readers to describe the traits of a life-changing teacher, they said that great teachers make their students feel safe and loved, possess a contagious passion for learning, believe their students can succeed—and always know when to be tough to help students reach their full potential.

This article presents 8 recommendations based on current research for how to be an exceptional teacher who truly makes a difference in the lives of their students.

How to Choose a Preschool

Early childhood education experts say that the type of program you choose is less important than key factors like how teachers interact with students, whether the space is specifically designed for young children and whether learning is play-based and culturally responsive.

The Pandemic May Have Lowered Baby IQ Study Says

A new study by researchers at five universities found that babies born during the pandemic may have lower IQ scores than those born before it. Babies who came into the world before the coronavirus had a cognitive score hovering around 100, according to this study. But the test scores of babies born during the pandemic fell sharply, to around 78. That’s 22 points lower than what’s considered normal.

The trouble is that babies may not be getting enough of the crucial “serve and return” interactions that help shape brain architecture, experts say. When an infant babbles, gestures or cries, and an attentive adult responds with words, or touch, neural connections are built and reinforced in the child’s brain. This back-and-forth exchange helps build foundational neural connections that drive child development.

“We can’t be cavalier about this,” Deoni said. “What this means is that we really have to redouble our efforts at ensuring kiddos are able to get out and play as well as spend time with their parents.”

Briggs, for one, believes one of the best ways to help children may be to help their parents. She hopes to raise awareness that stress management is more a necessity than a luxury as the public health crisis drags on.

A Top Researcher Says It’s Time to Rethink Our Entire Approach to Pre-K

This article discusses a longitudinal study based on a statewide preschool for low-income children in Tennessee. It showed surprisingly negative results. Possible reasons for the results have implications for all preschools.

Promising Practices to Accelerate Learning for Students with Disabilities During COVID-19 and Beyond

It is critical that schools take immediate steps to address the issue of instructional loss and prevent students from falling further behind. NCLD released a guide that outlines key principles to help shape inclusive and equitable learning opportunities for all students in the 2020–2021 school year.

Prevalence and Trends of Developmental Disabilities among Children in the United States: 2009–2017, American Academy of Pediatrics

October 2019
This study investigated the national prevalence of 10 developmental disabilities among US children aged 3 to 17 years between 2009 and 2017. From 2009 to 2011 and 2015 to 2017, there were overall significant increases in the prevalence of any developmental disability. Changes by demographic and socioeconomic subgroups may be related to improvements in awareness and access to health care. Article includes a video abstract with more details of the results.

A Critical Assessment of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study at 20 Years

June 2019
This year marks the 20th anniversary of publication in this journal of the first of many articles on the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) research by Drs. Felitti, Anda, and colleagues.1 As we celebrate the impact of this seminal research, it is also imperative to assess critically its serious limitations: an unrepresentative study population and narrow operationalization of childhood adversity lead to undercounting adverse experiences and misrepresenting their social distribution. Placing ACEs research—and the movement it has generated—in the wider contexts provided by the social determinants of health framework,2 and by the rapidly growing biology and neuroscience of early childhood adversity,3, 4, 5 can enrich ACEs research and extend its impact to shaping primary prevention policies that address social and economic conditions producing adversity.

A Nation At Hope: Recommendations from the National Commission on Social, Emotional and Academic Development

The Aspen Institute National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development was created to engage and energize communities in re-envisioning learning to encompass its social, emotional, and cognitive dimensions so that all children can succeed in school, careers, and life. The Commission’s work has drawn on research and promising practices to recommend how to make all these dimensions of learning part of the fabric of every school and community. The Commission’s members are leaders from education, research, policy, business, and the military. The full Commission team includes a Council of Distinguished Scientists, a Council of Distinguished Educators, a Youth Commission, a Parent Advisory Panel, a Partners Collaborative, and a Funders Collaborative.

Delivering on the Promise of Effective Early Childhood Education for Black Children: Eliminating Exclusionary Discipline and Concentrating on Inclusion

Dec 2018
One of the five priorities identified in the National Black Child Development Institute’s (NBCDI) Action Agenda is to ensure Black children are no longer excluded from learning environments due to suspensions and expulsions that are all too common place in early childhood education settings. As 2019 approaches and we equip Communities of Practice across the country to drive and implement policy changes that promote positive outcomes for Black children, the “Delivering on the Promise of Effective Early Childhood Education” White Paper includes a comprehensive review of best practices and policy opportunities at the state and local level.

Kids Included Together (KIT): Top 5 Trends in Disability Inclusion

Kids Included Together (KIT) is leading the field in disability inclusion and behavior support through work with over 450 organizations in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Using research, media, and recent KIT data from 625 training sessions, 100 online courses, 325 onsite visits, and 1,752 support center calls, we have identified the top 5 trends in childhood disability inclusion. In 2018, we can exploit these trends to help increase meaningful inclusion of children with disabilities in schools and communities.

The Research on Life Changing Teaching